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God of War II
"Zeus! Your son has returned! I bring the destruction of Olympus!" -''Kratos 'God of War II' is a hack and slash action-adventure video game and the sequel to the ''God of War video game for the PlayStation 2. It was released in North America on March 13, 2007, in Europe on April 27, 2007, and May 3, 2007 in Australia. The North American NTSC version of God of War II is packaged in a two-disc set. The first disc contains the game, and the second disc is dedicated to the game's development, including a diary of the game's production. The European/Australian PAL version comes in two different editions: a single disc standard edition and a two disc "Special Edition" that comes in a different case than the single disc edition. It also includes different box art, a bonus DVD, as well as the PAL version of the game. God of War II won a Golden Joystick for "PlayStation Game of the Year 2007" at the 2007 Golden Joystick Awards. Gameplay The gameplay of God of War II is very similar to that of its predecessor. The player controls Kratos in a combination of combat, platforming, and puzzle game elements. It also keeps the concept of using minigames to perform bloody kills. Another element that returns from the previous game is Kratos ability to find Red Orbs to level up his weapons and magic and Gorgon Eyes and Phoenix Feathers to increase his health and magic meters. Like the previous God of War, Kratos receives numerous weapons and magical powers all throught his quest, given to him by certain characters, or taken from his enemies. These items offer small enhancements in terms of gameplay over God of War, such as Icarus' Wings (an item cut from the original game), which allows the player to glide short distances, the Golden Fleece, which allows players to repel projectiles, and the Blades of Athena, an item returning from the first game which now lets players swing from highlighted objects. Story God of War II takes place some time after the events of the first game; Kratos, after his defeat of Ares, has become the new God of War, but has not been accepted by the other members of the Greek pantheon due to his ruthless treatment of the other Greek city-states. Kratos is still haunted by memories of the deeds from his past while working under Ares. He finds enjoyment the only way he can, by leading and aiding his Spartan army in conquering Greece. Athena pleads that Kratos stop, telling him that she cannot protect him much longer from the wrath of Olympus and that he should not turn his back on her because it was she who made him a god. Kratos replies that he owes nothing to her and descends to the battle of Rhodes to assist his Spartan army. A giant Kratos arrives to destroy the city, noticing a bird (Zeus), who Kratos believes to be Athena in disguise, robs him of almost all of his godly power, infusing them into the Colossus of Rhodes and bringing it to life to kill the now powered down god. After a protracted conflict with the metal giant that rages across the city, Zeus offers Kratos the Blade of Olympus, which Zeus himself used to overthrow Cronos and the Titans. At Zeus' behest, Kratos infuses the blade with his godhood, rendering him mortal but enabling him to to destroy the Colossus from the inside. As Kratos jumps from the falling Colossus, he shouts to the gods if he needs to prove anything more to them. However, Kratos is crushed and severely wounded by the Colossus' falling hand after the battle. Kratos realizes he must retrieve the Blade of Olympus to save himself. As he slowly gets up and limps his way to the sword, Zeus reveals himself as the eagle that stole his power, and he kills Kratos so that his fate will not be the same as Ares'. Kratos is then slayed. However, as Kratos is being dragged towards an eternity of torment in Hades, he is saved by Gaia, the mother of the Titans and the franchise's narrator, who offers an alliance. When the Titans were defeated by the Olympians, they were punished and humiliated, and they want Kratos' help to exact revenge. Kratos escapes the Underworld and is bidden by Gaia to find the Sisters of Fate in order to change his past. She gives Kratos the aid of the magical horse Pegasus to traverse the distance to the Fates. Kratos and Pegasus, after a detour to a mountain that houses the Titan Typhon and the former Titan Prometheus, fly to the Island of Creation where the Sisters of Fate await. As he explores the island, Kratos encounters the likes of Theseus, Perseus, and the Barbarian King from the original God of War. Kratos also encounters a haggard and crazed Icarus. Kratos lands upon the Titan Atlas below the earth and tries to communicate with him. At first Atlas refuses to help Kratos, bent on crushing the human for his new imprisonment since their last meeting. However, Kratos manages to persuade Atlas to help him so that he may change his fate and kill Zeus. With the Titan accepting the offer, he grants Kratos a new power and helps him back to the surface so that he may continue his quest. Finally reaching the Throne Room, Kratos expresses his firm desire to change his own fate, and that of Zeus, the King-God of Olympus, after which the Sisters deny him passage through. Kratos then confronts Lahkesis. After a gruesome battle, Kratos stands witness as the middle sister Atropos comes forth from within the defeated Lahkesis, taking Kratos back in time, to the very moment of his battle with Ares. Planning on cutting his life short by destroying the Blade of the Gods, Kratos interferes, defeats Atropos and travels back to present time. Now fighting both Lahkesis and Atropos at the same time, Kratos manages to trap the two sisters in the time travel mirror, and shatters it, leaving both in the past. With Lakhesis and Atropos defeated, Kratos makes his way to Clotho, who operates and defends the Loom of Fate, which rules the lives of mortals and gods alike. Pinning Clotho's hands to the ground, Kratos kills the final sister, granting him control over his own loom. He first goes back to his death at Zeus' hands in Rhodes, reclaiming the Blade of Olympus and inciting a lengthy battle with the King of the Gods. At the end of the fight, Zeus is striking Kratos with an unstoppable lightning storm, leaving Kratos to call out to Zeus that he surrenders. As Zeus is about to kill Kratos, he deflects the blow (using the Golden Fleece) and pins Zeus's hands to the rock with his blades. Kratos then takes the Blade of Olympus and begins driving it into Zeus' abdomen. Athena arrives and defends Zeus, however, Kratos battles her, angered at her defiance against him. The badly wounded Zeus attempts to escape, though Kratos tries to charge forward and slay Zeus as he flees. Which then, causes Athena to sacrifice herself, saving her father at the cost of her own life. Her dying words reveal that Zeus' actions are meant to break the cycle of son killing father, which goes back to Cronos killing Uranus, and Zeus defeating Cronos. By killing Kratos (the son) before he can kill Zeus (the father) Zeus had hoped to break the cycle - thus confirming that Kratos is, in fact, Zeus' own son, and begs him to relent in his quest for vengeance. After a moment of apparent shock and shame, Kratos darkens and snarls that he has no father. Athena dies in Kratos' arms, saying that all the gods on Olympus will deny Kratos, defending Zeus so Olympus will prevail. She said that even though Kratos wishes to kill Zeus, Zeus is Olympus. Kratos then vows to exact retribution on Zeus and any god who will deny him his vengeance, screaming that their time is at an end. Returning to the Loom, which is now collapsing, Kratos uses it once again to go further back in time to the near end of The Great War. He then brings Gaia and the Titans back to the present. Meanwhile, Zeus rallies his fellow gods Poseidon, Hades, Hermes and Helios, urging them to unite and defeat this threat together. Suddenly, the entire temple of Olympus begins to tremble. The gods walk over to the balcony and see the Titans, who are climbing Olympus, along with the former God of War; Kratos. The game finishes with a prophetic warning: [[God of War III|''The End Begins....]] Characters *Kratos - At the start of ''God of War II, Kratos is the God of War (God) after defeating Ares but not being released from his torment made his sorrow boil into hatred and anger for the Gods. He turns to his mortal army of Sparta to wage war on cities across the lands of Greece, which raises the anger of Zeus and the other gods. Soon, he finds he is betrayed by Zeus and reduced to a mortal and his Powers are taken away from him. Kratos must than travel to the Sisters of Fate to exact revenge and destroy Zeus once and for all. *Athena - The goddess of wisdom, defensive war and industry. Though a constant companion in the first game, Athena appears only three times in this sequel: once to warn Kratos that his actions are displeasing the other gods, a second through a statue (as in the first game), and the last to save Zeus by stepping in the way of Kratos' killing blow. (Ironically, when Athena's mother, the Titaness Metis, was pregnant, Zeus attempted to kill both for fear that the child be the prophesied overthrowing son.) *Gaia - Mother of the Titans, and connected to all things of the Earth and life. Along with the other Titans, she was banished in the War of the Titans, and seeing Kratos' quest for revenge on Zeus, offers to lend her power to his cause. She helps Kratos throughout his journey in hopes that together they can bring about the fall of Olympus. She also acts as the narrator of the game. *Lahkesis - The middle (matron) of the three Sisters of Fate bears a feathered robe and wings along with a staff. She mocks Kratos by telling him that she was the one responsible for deciding both the defeat of the Titans in the Great War and letting Kratos reach the Sisters. She refuses to accept Kratos and tells him that he will fail in his quest to change his fate. *Atropos - The oldest (crone) Sister of Fate who was inside Lakhesis until she split off to fight Kratos. She mocked Kratos' attempt to change his fate, demonstrating her power by altering the event from the first God of War and attempting to destroy the Blade of the Gods so that Kratos would die by Ares' hand. Kratos is forced to fight in his own past (with the final battle of the first game raging in the background) in order to defeat her and preserve his existence. *Clotho - The youngest (maiden) Sisters of Fate that Kratos encounters, although she bears no resemblance to her sisters. She is a morbidly obese silkworm-like creature with multiple arms and breasts that sits within the multi-leveled Loom Chamber. She spins the thread of every mortal, god and titan. Kratos must defeat Clotho and learn how to work the loom in order to kill Zeus and change his fate. *Zeus - The King of Olympus and the gods who created the Blade of Olympus. He is the father of Ares, Athena and Kratos. He betrays Kratos in the beginning of the second game. Zeus is the antagonist in the second game. Enemies Common enemies *Rhodes Soldiers - These warriors are mere mortals and are no match even for weakened Kratos. *Rhodes Archers - Archers of the Rhodes army. *Undead Legionnaires - The undead warriors return as the major enemies of Kratos. *Cursed Remains - These resurrected skeletons could only be defeated by being completely destroyed. *Wild Boars - Aggressive creatures native to the Island of Creation. *Rabid Hounds - Monstrous dogs that guards the Island of Creation. *Wraiths - These undead abomination, already known by Kratos, are again his enemies. *Harpies - The monstrous flying women are encountered by Kratos during his journey through Island of Creation. *Minotaurs - These beasts returns in God of War II. New type is also present, the icy Erebus Minotaur. *Hades Minotaurs - These fat minotaurs are unlike the other members of their kind. *Gorgons - Gorgons of few types appear in game, including Queens. *Cyclops - The gigantic one-eyed monsters. The Cyclops Berserkers could be mounted by Beast Lords. *Cerberi - Several types of the three-headed dogs appears in game. *Sirens - These singing beasts already made an appearance in God of War. *Siren Widows - The Sirens of Island of Creation are different from the ones Kratos encountered earlier. *Satyrs - Powerful warriors armed with a staff. Returns from God of War. A new type called Satyr Champion appears. *Griffins - Gigantic creatures which patrol the waters around the Island of Creation. Mounted by Griffin Riders. *Hades Fiends - Dangerous feminine undead warriors. *Nymphs - The small, flying enemies that live in hives. *Fates Sentry - The Satyr-like worshipers of Fate. There is also an advanced version of this enemy, Fates Guardians. *Fates Juggernauts - Massive, hulking minion of the Fates armed with a flail. A Hades version also exist. *Beast Lords - Small, but dangerous Satyr-like servant of Fates. Could take control over a Cyclops. *High Priests of Fates - These enemies are spell-casters who could teleport, making the task to kill them harder. *Titan Minotaurs - The strongest of Kratos' enemies on Island of Creation, these ancient, stone beasts are formidable opponents. Only few are encountered during the game. Bosses *Colossus of Rhodes - The first boss in the game. It is brought to life by Zeus (who was in the form of a bird) who drains Kratos' Power and gives it to the statue. As Kratos fights his way through the city, the Colossus attempts to destroy him. Kratos eventually fights the Colossus from within. When completely drained of its power by Kratos' with the use of the Blade of Olympus it begins to collapse. Kratos escapes through the mouth onto a platform. He is then crushed and nearly killed by the hand of the falling colossus. *Raven - This enemy is actually not a boss, but an unique creature (and challenge) Kratos faces and kills during the ride on Pegasus. This giant bird tried to make Kratos fall off his mount, but he eventually jumped on its back and broke its neck. *Dark Rider - This warrior pilots the Dark Griffin and is the leader of Griffin Riders. Armed with the Spear of Destiny, he protects the Island of Creation from any trespassers. Kratos fights him in the sky near the island, and kills the Rider using his own Spear of Destiny. *Theseus - A famous Greek hero, he wields a twin-bladed spear and can summon ice crystals and Frost Minotaurs. He serves the Sisters of Fate as the 'Horse master' for the glory of Zeus and keeps the key to the chapels on the backs of the Steeds of Time. Kratos offers Theseus' life in exchange for the key he possesses for the door; however Theseus challenges Kratos to a duel to the death to prove who is the greatest warrior in Greece. After an extended battle, Kratos uses Theseus' own spear against him by impaling him to the door, using the key to open the door, then repeatedly smashing the door on his head until he dies. *Barbarian King - One of the characters from the original game to return, the Barbarian King was seen repeatedly through the cutscenes in that game as Kratos' adversary who nearly defeated him, forcing Kratos to make a pact with Ares. Kratos is seen decapitating the King in the first game, but in this game he is a powerful undead, a corpse riding a decrepit horse. He tells Kratos he is thankful that the Fates granted him this last duel with Kratos for revenge. After Kratos knocks the King off his horse and kills it, he uses his own hammer against him, smashing his head until it's nothing but a huge mess. In another throwback to the original game, the ship captain whom Kratos left to perish inside the Hydra is one of the souls the Barbarian King summons along with his Barbarian Mercenaries. If you kill the captain, it marks the third time in the series you let him die. The second being when you encounter him in the Underworld in the first game and kick him into the Styx. *Mole Cerberus - A black, three-headed hound who is faster, stronger and can breathe fire, Kratos discovers it has eaten Jason (of the Argonauts) and the Golden Fleece along with him. Kratos must retrieve the Golden Fleece from within the beast. He first stabs two of the heads then sticks his hand inside the last ones mouth ripping the fleece and his guts from inside of him killing him. *Euryale - This immortal being is Medusa's sister, a much larger, heavier gorgon. She wishes to avenge the death of her sister, who was slain by Kratos in the original God of War, and to get revenge for all of the other gorgons Kratos has killed. She praises the Sisters of Fate for luring Kratos to her temple. Her petrification energy is red, as opposed to other gorgons' energy being green. Kratos struggles with her at first but finally slices her head off. When defeated, her head can be used to turn enemies to stone. This is similar to "Medusa's Gaze" from the first game. *Perseus - The Greek hero appears to be on his own quest to seek the Sisters of Fate, to bring his love (presumably Andromeda) back from the dead. Perseus uses the Helmet of Hades that makes him invisible, a sling, a sword, and a reflective shield, all of which he received from various gods. He attempts to kill Kratos believing that the confrontation is a test to prove his worth for an audience with the Sisters (or at least he can bask in the glory of slaying Kratos). Kratos must first destroy his helmet to remove his invisibility then break his sword into pieces, at which point Perseus is down only to his sling and the blinding magic of his shield. After weakening Perseus, Kratos smashes his head into a wall, drowns him into unconsciousness then takes Perseus's shield and throws him through a wall into a hook, killing him instantly. *Icarus - Kratos runs into an elderly Icarus upon reaching the Great Chasm. He appears to have lost his sanity, reacting violently to Kratos' arrival. This causes a tussle that takes them both over the edge. Kratos manages to tear off his wings, causing the old man to fall to his death, while Kratos lands on the Titan Atlas. *Last Spartan - Mini boss that Kratos encounters before his battle with Kraken. When the fight begins, Kratos is unaware that it is his own Spartan lieutenant due to the darkness in the room. The battle is notable for being presented in a 2D-style gameplay. Kratos finishes the battle by crushing the Spartan through the window down to the ground, where he discovers the identity of already mortally wounded warrior. *Kraken - Appears after the battle with the Spartan. At this point Kratos has been through so much that he gives up fighting and will not lift his blades. He now believes he cannot change his fate and wishes Zeus to face him at that very moment. This allows the Kraken to firmly grab hold of Kratos who is still enraged. Kratos regains his fighting spirit after being convinced by Gaia (in the form of Kratos' wife) that he will be eternally tormented by Zeus unless he changes his fate. After a few rounds of battling the beast, Kratos stabs its tentacles, knocking it off balance, and uses a lever to extend a bridge, sending the bridge straight through the Kraken's mouth, killing it. *Sisters of Fate - In order to use the Loom to change his past, Kratos must battle the Three Sisters of Fate that are defending it, frightened that Kratos will bring doom to the world should he use it. :*Lahkesis confronts Kratos alone trying to kill him using a combination of melee attacks and magic with the use of her staff. :*Atropos appears when Lahkesis is bested by Kratos. She appears from within her sister. Atropos carries Kratos through the mirror back to the time when Kratos fought Ares. She threatens that she could kill Kratos in the past by destroying the sword he used to kill Ares. Kratos defeats Atropos, bringing both of them back to Lahkesis' throne room. :*Both Lakhesis and Atropos fight against Kratos. He defeats them by throwing them into one of their inter-dimensional mirrors, and then destroying it, erasing the sisters from the world's timeline. :*Clotho, the final sister, awaits Kratos a few levels away. While Kratos makes his way to her head he disables five of her smaller arms blocking his way up. Once at the top level, he disables her two main arms, giving him time to bring up a giant swinging blade. With this blade he impales Clotho through her head killing the last of the Sisters of Fate, granting him the power to change the past. *Zeus - After using the Loom to return to the point in time where Zeus drives the Blade of Olympus into Kratos, Kratos must fight Zeus for control of the blade in order to change his future. Toward the end of the battle Kratos uses both Athena's Blades and the Blade of Olympus to bring him down. After an electrical storm attack from Zeus, Kratos tricks Zeus by telling that he gives up, allowing Zeus to kill him. Kratos, with the use of the Golden Fleece, reverses Zeus' attack and uses the Blade of Olympus to nearly kill him, until Athena interferes. Kratos, while trying to run Zeus through with the Blade, accidentally impales Athena instead, who threw herself in the path of the killing blow, mortally wounding her, while Zeus escapes, showing no regret nor compassion for his fallen daughter. Items and abilities Weapons *Blades of Athena - magical blades Bestowed on Kratos by the goddess Athena. They function as the same weapon as the Blades of Chaos, but these were given to Kratos as he ascends to Godhood by Athena, and after Ares had taken the Blades of Chaos from Kratos during the final battle in God of War. *Barbarian Hammer - A slow but powerful close combat weapon originally wielded by the Barbarian King. With it, Kratos can deliver powerful slams and smashes, and also summon legions of souls. *Spear of Destiny - A weapon originally used by the Dark Rider. With it Kratos can perform deadly swipes and stabs, and can also fire dangerous piercing projectiles at enemies. *Blade of Olympus - A divine sword so powerful it was the blade that allowed Zeus to defeat the Titans it can also harm and kill other Gods. the weapon can be powered up with experience orbs to increase its power and add new attacks. However, the Blade of Olympus, normally a weapon provided solely by plot developments, can only be used when during the fight with the Colossus, fighting Zeus in the last bit of gameplay, and via Bonus Play. Magic *Poseidon's Rage - This is a magic from the first God of War game. Kratos uses it in the first part of the game (at Rhodes) but then loses it upon losing his godly powers. However, Kratos can use this magic ability during bonus play if the Urn of Poseidon has been unlocked and is used. The urn switches Cronos' Rage with Poseidon's Rage. *Typhon's Bane - A magical bow and arrow-like weapon that allows Kratos to fire rapid blasts of wind. *Cronos' Rage - An attack using electricity to strike multiple targets via orbs of lightning. Higher levels spread farther and attack more targets, and even create an explosion at the end of its duration. *Head of Euryale- The severed head of Euryale, which can be used to turn enemies to stone (similar to the Medusa's Gaze from the first game). *Atlas Quake - A wide area ground pounding attack in which Kratos summons strong earthquakes a rocky debris. Relics *Poseidon's Trident - Kratos obtained this in the first game and has it again in God of War II. It allows him to dive, swim, and breathe underwater infinitely. *Rage of the Titans- this power is gained from Prometheus, which is similar to the "Rage of the Gods" from the first game. This power can only be activated initially when a meter has been filled either due to Kratos taking damage or collecting Gold Orbs. Activating the power increases Kratos' attack power for a short time and also allows him to take less damage from enemy attacks. The player is allowed to activate and deactivate Rage of the Titans whenever they wish, unlike Rage of the Gods which had to be fully charged and then could only be fully drained. *Amulet of the Fates - A relic that allows Kratos to slow down time when close to a Fates Statue. *Golden Fleece- A golden armlet which Kratos can use to reflect directed shots back at their sender. *Icarus Wings - A pair of feathered wings that Kratos takes from Icarus. With them, he can glide short distances after jumping. Treasures Much like the first God of War, upon beating the game, additional costumes can be unlocked, for Kratos to wear. Similar to Challenge of the Gods, God of War II offers Challenge of the Titans after beating the game once. A new addition has Kratos collecting urns that give him special powers. Another new feature called "Bonus Play" allows one to replay the game with all of Kratos' weapons and powers, as well as using the Urns of Power previously collected. Critical Reception Upon its release, God of War II garnered overwhelming critical and commercial acclaim. Many consider it to be one of PlayStation 2's best games, and also one of the best action games of all time. It contains four times as many boss fights and improved puzzles in comparison to the original. The game is also considered to be the swan song of the PlayStation 2 era — in other words, the last great game released exclusively for the console. In North America, the game had sold 833,209 copies by the end of March 2007, twice as many copies as the next-best selling game. In its first week of release in Europe, the game took the top spot in the UK charts as well. The game went on to sell over one million copies in its first three months. As of July 11, 2007, the game has sold two million copies. On March 13th, 2008, God of War II joined Sony's renowned Greatest Hits list. Cut Content * Unnamed Wind Magic - A magic power, effected when Kratos charges his blades, glowing bright white, after which he shoots a blast of wind towards his enemies. This power was cut from the game for unknown reasons and was replaced by Typhon's Bane. It can be seen in the E3 Trailer for the game being used to kill the Undead Legionnaire. See Also * God of War: Chains of Olympus * God of War * God of War: Ghost of Sparta * God of War: Betrayal * God of War III Trivia *God of War II's working title was known as Divine Retribution. External links *The Official God of War Fan Community Category:God of War II Category:God of War Series